Chinese tourism spending is seeing a boom in the Latin American countries. Thanks to the Rio Olympics which helped to shift the world’s attention on Latin America and is still serving as one of the contributing factors in attracting international tourists. In the past, Chinese visitors to Latin America have only accounted for a small portion of outbound Chinese travel, which is now showing a healthy change in the trend.
Travel leaders suggest that the Chinese travellers have gone beyond just the major sporting events and the preferential visa policies to certain Latin American countries have helped boost interest from China. The reason is simple – most of the Chinese travellers have already covered Asia, North America and Europe but South America remains largely unexplored. Some countries like Ecuador has have eliminated visa requirements for Chinese tourists. Argentina, on the other hand has simplified the visa application process for Chinese nationals. So overall, it means, the countries need the Chinese market to boost their tourism sectors.
The natural and cultural wonders of Latin America is one of the contributing factor in improving ties between China and countries in the region which is eventually helping to increase the Chinese tourist flow. The development of tourist exchanges between the China and Latin America is still in the very early stages as one of the travel agents finalised. Flights from China usually have to connect through the US, Dubai or Europe and a one-way trip can take up to 40 hours which makes it’s a very tiring option. And till date the flights and tour package prices have also remained relatively high than the other destinations. Recognizing these challenges, many Latin American countries have decided to ramp up their promotions in China.
Agencies and airlines are also working on creating direct flights between China and Latin America.
